After DADT Repeal, Next Step is Benefits for Partners

After DADT Repeal, Next Step is Benefits for Partners

With the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” will gay soldiers be able to include their partners on military benefits? The ILGA says that is the hope:

(L)ast week’s end of the policy prohibiting openly gay or lesbian service members from serving in the military brings almost no change for them when it comes to the extensive benefits offered to America’s troops and their families.

The next goal of gay and lesbian groups is obtaining key benefits for same-sex partners, such as health care coverage, housing allowances, base family housing, shopping privileges, relocation assistance and family separation allowances.

And then there’s the issue of taxation of those benefits. For example, the value of health insurance provided to a same-sex partner would be taxable at the federal level. Some of my clients in same-sex relationships have up to $8,000 in income added to their tax returns because of health insurance provided to their partner.

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